Seasons of Life
by antiwicked
Summary: She was different and what was different was called evil. Elphaba wasn't a bad person nor was she a witch. She just didn't fit the mold and that scared everyone. AU
1. Chapter 1

The year was 1710 and Munchkinland was a thriving, farming community. Colwen Grounds, the capital of Munckinland, was a large town where everyone knew their place. Men knew that they were in charge of the family. Women knew that they were to take care of the house and the young children. Even children knew that they were to obey their mothers and work in the fields with their fathers. Everyone knew what they had to do. In our history books we claim that the occupants of that time period were happy and carefree, that couldn't be any further from the truth. In those days, life was hard. Even the simplest tasks took hours to complete. Men were the supporters of the family. They tended the farms and attended religious and political meetings. Women, on the other hand, were rarely allowed outside, much less at a congregation of politicians. They weren't allowed to have opinions on the daily events, and if they secretly did, they certainly weren't allowed to voice them. Women were to cook for their families, which wasn't as easy as it might sound. To use bread, a woman couldn't just waltz into her local supermarket; she had to grind grain and make the bread herself. To get meat, an animal had to be slaughtered and prepared before it could be cooked. Keep in mind, dear Reader, that there were no ovens or grills at this point of time. Food had to be cooked over a fire, which had to be meticulously maintained day and night. Women's work never ended. To make it worse, women were only allowed in the water once or twice a year... To bathe.

You see, roles were clearly defined and one was expected to stay in his or her position.

Yet, there was one woman who clearly did not fit the mold. Elphaba Thropp was the wife of a farmer. She was stubborn, opinionated, and a hell of a lot smarter than women of that age were supposed to be. She loved to work outside, a fact which shocked her disgusted neighbors. In fact, when her husband died, instead of remarrying, which most women would have done at that time, she put on her husband's pants and shirt and went to work in the field with her three sons. The family's farm was located on the Coast and Elphaba was secretly an avid swimmer. Even worse, Elphaba Thropp was green. No, not green with jealousy as I know you're thinking. Her skin was a genuine grass green. It was certainly created a town-wide scandal. The pastor's daughter, a freak of nature! People talked about it in public for years and, when she was finally older, behind her back as well.

Well there you go, all the ingredients needed for a witch hunt. You see, back then, when people took sight of something that they didn't understand, they just called it evil! Which doesn't seem any different then our time today. Elphaba wasn't a bad person, nor was she a witch. But Elphaba was different, and different can be very hard.

Now, let's explain our curious subject, Elphaba Thropp. The green girl was born in the town of Colwen Grounds and, even at the moment of her birth, she was odd. She was born green as we have already established and there wasn't many people around to love her. Her mother died in childbirth with her sister and her father wanted nothing to do with her. As soon as she turned sixteen, her father, Frexspar Thropp, the local pastor, tried to find a suitor for his freak of a daughter. There was no one willing to marry her. She was too independent for any man's taste and she wasn't too fond of following orders.

Just when Elphaba and her distraught father were about to lose hope of ever finding a man, a young farmer came into town. Fiyero Tigelaar, his name was. He fell in love with her, much to the dismay of other maidens who tried to flirt with him.

She was wary of him at first but her father pushed them marry and the happy couple produced three sons and a thriving farm by the sea.

But how did Elphaba Thropp become a target for all of her neighbors? As we mentioned earlier, the people called anything that was different evil. They were scared of her and that fear turned to anger over the years and that anger turned to absolute betrayal.

This betrayal would bring Elphaba Thropp to the local courthouse where she would be tried, and later convicted, of witchcraft.


	2. Chapter 2

The chance to love her was the most beautiful gift that life could have given him. She would walk by every morning, her hair pinned up into a rather careless bun, a few soft stands framing her pointed face. She couldn't be bothered with shoes; she waltzed around the farm barefoot, seemingly never caring about the oddly looks that were thrown her way. Elphaba Thropp was resilient, lovely, and beautiful. That's why he loved her.

Fiyero Tigelaar was a poor farmer, not sure of himself and his place in society. He hadn't learned much about politics as his father was dead and his mother was busy raising his younger sisters. Fiyero had taken it upon himself to provide for his family and it proved to be very difficult. Crops were hard to grow and the planting season was unpredictable. He was only seventeen.

Now, dear Readers, we shall return to our story. Elphaba Thropp, as previously stated, would pass the Tigelaar farm every morning just to get to the marketplace for the day. Her father wasn't too keen on her leaving the house, as he was embarrassed by her harlequin green skin. She could always feel Fiyero's eyes on her, and that fact would cause her to blush and shuffle faster, her eyes glued to the dirt road. Fiyero was a beautiful man, certainly a nice prospect for a husband. No, she scolded herself, he would never want a freak like you.

One day, she found out that he did.

It was an early Saturday morning, bright and sunny. As if the world knew that a lasting love would be sparked on this day. Fiyero was working in the fields, as usual, when she walked by. Elphaba didn't look any different than she normally did, with her hair pinned up in a tight bun and her apron flying in the breeze.

"Miss Thropp!" He exclaimed, throwing down his trowel and wiping his dirty hands on his trousers before running over to her.

"Yes, sir?" She asked of him as she laid her judgemental gaze on him.

"How are you?" He asked, panting as he slicked back his greasy, unwashed brown locks.

"Fine. Now if you'll excuse me, I must be going," Elphaba gazed upon him wearily. This must be some kind of joke. Better to leave before the punch line arrives.

"Miss Thropp, I think I love you," Fiyero blurted out nervously. Then his late father's face appeared in his mind. Good going, Fiyero, his father said, that's such a great way to woo a woman.

And there was the punch line. "Good for you," Elphaba told him. "If you don't mind, I have dinner to begin preparing." She quickly turned away from him, her cheeks blazing with embarrassment.

"But you must have some feeling for me! Just a little bit!" Fiyero exclaimed, wiping his face with his soiled shirt. "I'll go to your father now. Ask him for your hand in marriage!"

Before Elphaba even had a chance to put up a protest (not like she wanted to anyway), he grabbed her hand in a rather forward action and ran. She hurriedly followed after him, her skirts billowing around her bamboo pole legs.

They reached the Thropp family farm and Fiyero rushed in, rather rudely.

"Mr. Tigelaar! What is the meaning of this?" Frexspar cried.

"Sir, I understand that this is sudden, but I very much want to marry your daughter," Fiyero informed him, squeezing Elphaba's hand.

Frexspar needed a moment to compose himself. "You've come to marry Elphaba? That's absurd!" He laughed joyously. "Of course! We'll plan the wedding right away!"

Elphaba stood there, not speaking. She didn't even know this man and yet she was going to be his wife. But there was a slight fluttering in her heart and a thought in her mind that everything was going to be okay.


End file.
